


Place to Stay

by yukiawison



Category: Smash (TV)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, homeless Jimmy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 12:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3410861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiawison/pseuds/yukiawison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jimmy Collins tries to keep his head down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Place to Stay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taliatheloser](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taliatheloser/gifts).



Jimmy tried to keep his head down. Usually his face was so bruised it wasn't difficult. He found himself an alley, behind a bar that Adam didn't frequent. It was a good place to hide, and a decent place to sleep. That was until he ran into one of the bartenders.

"Hey are you living out here?" Jimmy was poised to run but the voice sounded soft and sympathetic.

A cute guy with tired eyes and a dimpled smile slid out of the back entrance to the bar. "I've seen you around here too often. Do you have a place to stay?"

Jimmy didn't want the man to come any closer. If he did he'd have his answer: fresh bruises and the smell of sweat and garbage.

"I um..."

"It's okay. I'm not going to get you kicked out or anything," the man bent down. He could see they were about the same age. "You don't have to lie."

"No, I don't have a place to stay," Jimmy muttered.

"What's your name?"

"Jimmy Collins."

"I'm Kyle Bishop. It's nice to meet you." He extended a hand but Jimmy didn't take it.

"I've got an extra room if you want it. You seem like a decent guy."

"You're going to invite a total stranger into your house. Do you have a death wish Kyle Bishop?"

Kyle laughed. "You want the bed or not man?"

Jimmy stood up, meeting Kyle's eyes.

"Oh my god you're face is all beat up! Are you okay?" Kyle reached out to touch the bruise on Jimmy's jaw before thinking.

"I'm fine," he replied, resisting the urge to lean in to the touch. People weren't usually gentle with Jimmy, but Kyle's touch was warm and light.

"Come back with me. You look like you need a friend."

"I don't have any money...and I'm not going to do you any favors if you know what I'm getting at."

Kyle flushed. "I'm not asking for any of that. I just have an extra bed."

Jimmy nodded, gathering up his things carefully and following Kyle.

"You should take a shower," he said gently. "I'll get the first aid kit."

"Alright," Jimmy mumbled, taking the towel Kyle handed him.

For once in his life the water was steaming hot. He stood under the warm stream for ten minutes before breaking out the shampoo and working the dirt and knots out of his hair.

"I've got an extra brush and toothbrush underneath the sink!" Kyle called from beyond the bathroom door.

"Thank you," he called back, scrubbing at his teeth until his gums felt sore.

"Let me see those bruises," Kyle said, coming at him with a pack of ice and a handful of bandages.

Jimmy felt lighter now that he'd showered, standing precariously in the pair of pajamas Kyle had given him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had clean clothes.

"I'm fine Kyle, really."

Kyle swatted his hands away. "No you're not," he took his face in his hands and started dabbing his cuts with disinfectant. "Hold still Jimmy, just a little longer."

Jimmy winced. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm a nice guy," Kyle replied. "And since my ex is gone I've got the space."

"Do you miss her? Your ex?"

"Him," Kyle corrected. "Not really."

"Oh," Jimmy replied softly.

"So what happened to you? Who beat you to a pulp?"

"My brother," Jimmy muttered.

"I'm sorry," Kyle said.

"It's not your fault. You don't even know me."

Kyle pressed a bandage to Jimmy's cheek. "Yeah, well I want to," he sat back to admire his work. "Not half bad my friend. You clean up nicely."

Jimmy smirked. "Hand me that ice would you?"

Kyle handed him the ice pack. "Are you hungry? I was going to make some dinner."

Jimmy nodded, his mouth watering at the mere idea of food. He hadn't had a decent meal in two days.

"Okay," Kyle said with a smile, noticing the dreamy look in his eyes.

"Relax, watch TV or something. I'll get food started."

Jimmy looked around at the living room he was sitting in. The couch was soft but worn, a scratched TV set resting on a scuffed coffee table across the room. There were a lot of assorted rugs and a book case sagging against one wall. Kyle had a couple framed playbills littered with signatures hung up on his wall, and a shoebox labeled Broadway in black sharpie rested on the edge of the stuffed bookcase. The walls were painted brown, giving the room a small, cozy feel.

Jimmy could smell meat cooking from the kitchen, and though his eyelids were getting heavy he stood to go see what Kyle was up to.

"Is this a habit of yours? Taking in homeless strangers and making them dinner."

Kyle grinned and shook his head. God he had a cute smile. "Nope, first time." He was busying himself with what appeared to be taco meat.

"Do you want hard or soft shell?"

Jimmy didn't respond and Kyle looked up at him questioningly. "You can have both if you want."

"Um I'll have both then please."

"Good," Kyle said. "You look kind of like you're going to pass out."

Jimmy wasn't ashamed that he ate everything Kyle put in front of him, all of four tacos with every topping Kyle had.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?"

"Hell yes I want some hot chocolate. I haven't had hot chocolate since I was a kid."

Kyle laughed. "Well you're in luck because it's kind of my specialty."

They sipped steaming mugs on Kyle's deck. The cold air mixed well with the warm drink, and Jimmy felt oddly calm.

"Thank you," he said. "For letting me stay here, for not asking or judging. You're a good guy Kyle."

"Hey, no one deserves to live like that."

"Yeah," Jimmy replied, face flushing. Why did this boy have to be so damn cute?

"You ready for bed Jimmy?"

He nodded, transfixed by Kyle's dimples and cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Here it is," Kyle said, frowning a bit.

"I'm sorry about you're boyfriend."

"Not your fault. You don't even know me."

Jimmy smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't like...rob me or anything"

"I think I've got you a job," Kyle said. It had been a week, and Jimmy was currently reading the paper on Kyle's couch.

"What?"

"At the bar. They need someone to wash dishes."

"I can do dishes," Jimmy grinned. "You're serious?"

"Course," Kyle joined Jimmy on the couch, pressing close to his side so he could see what he was reading.

"'M tired," Kyle mumbled, eyes fluttering shut.

"I'll move if you wanna take a nap."

"You don't have to move," he yawned, kicking off his shoes and tucking his feet onto the couch. He put his head in Jimmy's lap and stretched out. "If you don't mind."

Jimmy's heart was pounding faster. "Sure." He moved his hands so they were resting in Kyle's hair, playing with the soft strands as he dozed off.

"Jimmy," Kyle said, when it was quiet and he was somewhere between asleep and awake. "How did you get like that...on the streets I mean? You don't have to tell me if you don't want."

"I um...it's okay. My mom died when I was little, my dad beat her, and me and my brother Adam sometimes. My dad went to jail when I was 13. Adam was 18 so he took care of me. He did a lot of drugs. We started dealing but the money wasn't enough to keep our place. He hit me when I didn't deal for him. I ran away not to long ago, and here I am."

Kyle was quiet. "Do you do drugs Jimmy?"

Jimmy swallowed. "I'm trying to stop."

"Thank you for telling the truth."

"I wouldn't lie to you Kyle."

"You're going to stay right? Even when you get the job."

"If you'll have me."

"Of course I'll have you. I don't want you to leave."

"Okay your turn."

"What?"

"Well I told you how I got on the street, now you tell me what happened with you're ex. He was living with you so I'm guessing it was serious, and I've seen your face every time you look into that room."

Kyle sighed. "Well I thought we were serious. I thought he loved me as much as I loved him. Turns out he was screwing every other bartender on our street," he looked down. "It's not as if I haven't cheated before, or used anyone...but I thought we were for real. I wanted us to be."

"Have you talked to him? Tried to fix things?"

"I don't want to," he said. "Besides I've got my eyes on someone else," he grinned.

Jimmy's cheeks burned with jealousy. "That's good then," he muttered. "You still tired?"

Kyle nodded and put his head back in Jimmy's lap. At least they could lie like this for a little while longer.

"You are going to tell him right?"

"Eventually."

"Eventually?" Todd looked at him critically.

"Yes, Eventually," Kyle shot back, wiping down the counter at the bar. "What Jimmy doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Yeah but the longer you keep these little feelings to yourself the longer I have to watch you fawn over him."

"I do not fawn over Jimmy."

"Oh come on Kyle you're like the queen of fawning."

"The queen of what?" Jimmy came in from the back, drying his hands with a dish towel and shooting Kyle a smile that made him go weak in the knees.

"The queen of..." 

"Nothing," Kyle cut in. "It's nothing, Todd's being dumb."

"Well," Todd checked his watch dramatically. "Look at the time. You two can lock up right?" He winked at Kyle and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, of course, see you tomorrow," Jimmy replied.

"Anyone play that thing?" Jimmy asked softly, putting a chair on an empty table top and gesturing to the piano in the corner.

"Every once in a while. Why? You play?"

"When I was little. I haven't played in a while. They had an upright in one of the shelters I stayed in."

"Play me something," Kyle chanced.

"Alright." Jimmy sat down, stretching his fingers and inspecting the chipped keys.

Carefully he began to tap out a melody, something gentle and simple that Kyle hadn't heard before.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Nothing really, just something I'm playing around with."

"You wrote that?!"

Jimmy shrugged. "Yeah I guess. It's not a big deal."

"Like hell it isn't. I didn't know you wrote music. You know I'm crazy for musicals right?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said, smile widening. "Playbill collection is kind of hard to miss."

"Hey Jimmy," Kyle felt his fingers tingling with nervousness.

"Yeah?"

"Would you...um...would you want to go get coffee with me sometime? Like a date I mean."

"You want to go out with me?"

"Yes."

Jimmy laughed. "Kyle I thought you said you had your eyes on someone."

"You, I had my eyes on you."

Jimmy grinned, then shrugged. "Well I already live with you so why not. I like coffee."

"Good, because I like you."


End file.
